The time had come for Edward and Alphonse to leave. They were spending their last morning there. After breakfast, Edward and Winry went upstairs to their room to spend some time alone together. Winry had helped him pack his bag. "Looks like you're all set," she said looking at the suitcase on the bed. Edward closed it and turned to hold her.

"I love you so much," Edward told her in her ear. His heart breaking knowing that this was goodbye, and he had no idea when his return would be, or if there would be one. He didn't want to leave his kid without a father so he was determined to come home.

"I love you, too," Winry said as she held him tighter. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry even though it was hard not to. Hormones were not helping either.

Al knocked on the door. "Edward, it's time to go."

Edward loosened his embrace. "Okay, we'll be out in a minute," Edward told him. Edward heard Al and Mei walk down the stairs. He then kissed Winry as hard as he could and she kissed him back. Their kiss was passionate knowing it would be a long time before they could kiss like this again.

Edward pulled back from Winry and kneeled down. He held her waist as he put his ear to her pelvis. He knew he wouldn't be able to feel the baby but he wanted to be close to it. He spoke softly to it "Be good to your mother. I'll be home as soon as I can."

Edward and Winry went downstairs to join Al and Mei, and together the four walked to the train station. There were other young men there waiting to get on the train with the Elric brothers. Their families were there saying goodbye also.

Edward and Winry blushed as they watched Al and Mei kiss goodbye. Edward got over his embarrassment. 'Aw! Fuck it! I'm kissing my wife goodbye, and I don't care who has to see it!' he thought as he leaned down and kissed her. Winry was surprised but was happy to receive it. This wasn't a passionate kiss but more gentle.

The men got on the train, and the Elric brothers sat next to the window so they could talk to the ladies. "Stay safe!" Winry told them.

"We will. I'll write to you when I get there so you know the address." Edward said. And Al agreed to write Mei when he could. She was heading back to Xing soon so letters would take longer to get between them.

The train departed, and the families slowly left the station. Winry sat on the bench for a minute, and her hormones finally broke down her wall that she had been holding up. She cried into Mei's shoulder. "Stupid hormones," she told Mei.

Mei sympathized with Winry. "It's okay to be sad. You'll miss your husband. But you know those boys. They are too stubborn to die in a war." Winry chuckled at that. Edward was very stubborn but he wasn't invincible. Winry and Mei got up and walked home.

Edward and Al registered for the military once they arrived in Central. The lines were long. The draft must have been huge. They were given a physical by some cute nurses. Once they passed, they were taken on another train to a training facility.

Once they arrived at the training facility, they shared a bunk bed with Al being on top. There were 50 other men in this room. They also received their clothes that they would train in, which was white shirts and green pants. They also received nicer white shirts, green pants, and ties to wear in class. The days passed quickly and by the end of it while lying in their beds, Edward realized that he hadn't even gotten the address so he could write Winry. 'Damn it! I have to write her tomorrow!' he felt terrible. He at least wanted her to know how to communicate with them.

The men were woken up at 0400 to train, then a quick breakfast, class, lunch, shooting practice, and more training. Breaks were few and far between but he finally was able to get the address so he could write to his wife. It was late at night, and even though he was exhausted, he wrote a quick letter.

Dear Winry,

The address is on the envelope so you can write to me. We will be here for 6 weeks to train before being shipped off. Not sure where we will be heading yet, and we won't find out until we're about to leave. But I will let you know when the address changes.

Anyways, I miss being in bed with you. Sharing a room with 50 other men isn't as nice. Some of them snore really loud. And the beds are stiff.

Also, are you taking care of yourself? Are you eating in between meals? Please don't forget to eat when you are working. I hope you are feeling okay. I knew you were still a little nauseous even when you didn't want to admit it.

Sorry this is short but I am exhausted. I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,

Edward

Two weeks later, Edward received a letter from Winry.

Dear husband,

I miss you being in our bed, too. You made our bed nice and warm. I hope you don't mind I am letting Riza's dog share the bed. He warms it up a little bit but not as much as you did.

And don't worry about me. I have been following the doctor's orders. I have been eating some snacks between meals. My patients understand once I tell them why I have to take a break. I sit with them and share a portion with them so they are happy.

Also, I feel the baby move. It feels like a flutter. It is a neat feeling. I can't feel it with my hands because it's too small but I feel it in my body. And the doctor confirmed that it is the baby I feel, not just digestion.

Also, we need to start thinking of names. I was thinking maybe I can name it if it's a girl, and you can name it if it's a boy. But we have to have the other's approval. I don't want to hear any weird names for a boy.

I hope you are getting enough rest. I know how grumpy you can get when you don't get enough sleep. Please let me know if you need me to mail you something. I am happy to send you or Al anything. Take care of yourself. Tell Al I wish him well.

Love you,

Winry

Edward held on to the letter and read it a few times. Al noticed him reading it. "Any news?" Al asked him.

"Winry feels the baby move. It's like a really light flutter," Edward said sadly wishing he was there with her. This was supposed to be a happy moment for them but instead it's sad.

The weeks passed by until it was time for the men to ship out. Training camp was brutal but their bodies had become more muscled and lean. The Elric brothers were given a separate assignment apart from their peers. They boarded their train in their Amestrian blues that they were given. Edward had somehow retained his rank of Major while Al was a Private. They got to their destination and were picked up and taken to a camp outside of West City, that was still occupied by Creta.

The Elric brothers were shown to a tent to meet the officers for their assignment. When they went inside, they were greeted with several familiar faces. General Mustang greeted them "Major Elric, Private Elric, it's about time you two arrived." Edward and Al couldn't believe the whole team was there. They received a warm welcome and exchanged greetings, and then it was straight to business regarding their strategy to get West City back.